Numbers, signs and messages
You will read and say the details that break bookings and deliveries when they go wrong, and use written Spanish as an advantage.
Small details cause big problems in Spanish daily life. A wrong digit in a phone number, a misheard surname or a misread floor number can ruin a booking or send a delivery to the wrong door. This Topic covers numbers, prices, times and dates, addresses, spelling names aloud, WhatsApp messages, and…
Pick the article that fits your situation
Numbers, prices, times and dates as Spaniards say them
How Spaniards write and say prices, clock times, dates and phone numbers, so you can read a bill, a timetable or an appointment letter and say the same things aloud. For anyone new to Spain.
Reading and giving Spanish addresses and directions
How a Spanish address is ordered, how to read floor and door notation such as 3º B, bajo and ático, and which short phrases help you ask for and follow directions. For anyone about to receive post, deliveries or visitors.
Spelling your name and email aloud in Spanish
How to spell your name, surname and email aloud in Spanish so staff at banks, offices and shops write them down correctly. Written for newcomers who have never spelled aloud in Spanish.
WhatsApp, voice notes and texting in Spain
WhatsApp is how most day-to-day life in Spain gets arranged. This page shows newcomers how to write messages, use voice notes, behave in group chats and pick the right tone with landlords, tradespeople, schools and neighbours.
Reading signs, menus, price labels and notices
A decoder for the Spanish you see every day: door signs, opening hours, price labels, menu words, food labels and public notices. It is for newcomers who can read a little Spanish but get stuck on shop and street wording.
About this topic
It is for anyone thinking about moving to Spain, planning the move or already living there. You will learn to read and say the details that go wrong most often. You will also see why writing is often easier than speaking, and how to use it to your advantage.
Start with "Numbers, prices, times and dates as Spaniards say them". Everything else builds on it. After that, pick what you need:
- Reading and giving Spanish addresses and directions
- Spelling your name and email aloud in Spanish
- WhatsApp, voice notes and texting in Spain
- Reading signs, menus, price labels and notices
Official letters, registering your name and address, and online shopping are covered elsewhere.
Key rules
- Decimal comma: Spanish prices use a decimal comma and a point for thousands, as in 1.234,56 €.
- Date order: Spanish dates are written day/month/year, so 05/03/2026 is 5 March 2026.
- Written times: Written times use the 24-hour clock, such as 17:30, even though people speak with the 12-hour clock.
- Address order: Write street, number, floor, door, then postcode and city, with the number after the street name.
- Ground floor: Bajo is the ground floor, and 1º is usually the first floor above it.
- B and V: They sound identical, so say "be alta" for b and "uve baja" for v.
Documents you may need
- Your passport — Spelling your name and email aloud in Spanish
- Your NIE or TIE — Spelling your name and email aloud in Spanish
Numbers, signs and messages: questions that cross several articles
What does 3º B mean in a Spanish address, and where does the street number go?
3º B means the third floor, door B, and the street number comes right after the street name, as in C/ Mayor, 12, 3º B, 28013 Madrid. Floor words such as bajo (ground floor), entresuelo and principal can come before 1º, and ático is the top-floor flat.
Why do Spaniards write 17:30 but say "las cinco y media de la tarde"?
Spaniards write times on the 24-hour clock, such as 17:30, but they speak with the 12-hour clock plus a day part like de la tarde. So an appointment letter says 17:30 and a person says las cinco y media. Read "Numbers, prices, times and dates as Spaniards say them" for the spoken forms.
How do I read 05/03/2026 and 1.250,00 € on a Spanish document?
05/03/2026 is 5 March 2026, because dates are written day/month/year, and 1.250,00 € is one thousand two hundred and fifty euros, with a point for thousands and a comma for decimals. This differs from US-style dates and English prices. See Numbers, prices, times and dates as Spaniards say them.
Will price labels and signs use the same number format as other documents?
Yes, price labels in Spain normally use the decimal comma and put the euro sign after the number, as in 3,50 €. See Numbers, prices, times and dates as Spaniards say them.
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